Contents

Production

This episode aired on Canada's Treehouse TV channel on May 14, 2017, twenty days ahead of its scheduled premiere on Discovery Family.

Summary

Applejack the judge

"A judge must be honest, and you're the most honest pony there is."

The episode begins with Rarity—with Spike's assistance—putting up flyers for an upcoming fashion contest that she is hosting at Carousel Boutique. While putting up flyers, she runs into Pinkie Pie and explains that the winner of the contest will have their designs put on display at the boutique. To serve as the contest's judges, Rarity has enlisted Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, and a surprise guest:

"Applejack!"

— Rarity

Applejack overhears this while walking past, and she is confused as to why Rarity would select her to be a judge in a fashion contest. Rarity explains that, while Hoity Toity is an expert at fashion and Photo Finish has an artistic eye, neither of them share Applejack's practicality and honesty. Applejack is still unsure about being a judge, however, so she agrees to think it over. While she returns to Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity and Spike continue putting up flyers.

Applejack meets Photo Finish and Hoity Toity.

At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack confides in Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh about her uncertainties in being a fashion judge, but she demonstrates her practicality during apple-bucking by helping Apple Bloom with a new look she's trying out. Realizing the fashion community could benefit from her sensible outlook, Applejack returns to Rarity and agrees to be a contest judge. Just then, Photo Finish and Hoity Toity arrive, and Applejack demonstrates her ability as an honest and practical judge for them by bluntly criticizing photos from Miss Pommel's recent fashion debut.

Meet the contestants

Lily Lace, Starstreak, and Inky Rose.

In the boutique sewing room, Rarity, Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, and Applejack meet the three ponies taking part in Rarity's contest: a flighty unicorn mare with a Valley girl accent named Lily Lace, an Earth pony stallion with a taste for avant-garde named Starstreak, and a goth Pegasus mare named Inky Rose. For the contest, Lily Lace intends to present designs inspired by bird songs, Starstreak looks to more cutting-edge and "futuristic" designs, and Inky Rose's designs incorporate mostly black and dark colors.

Hoity Toity and Photo Finish approve of the designers' inspirations, but Applejack's reactions are mainly those of criticism, questioning the functionality of the designers' clothes. Both the designers and the other judges are put off by Applejack's words, but Rarity assures Applejack that her practicality is exactly what the contest needs. However, Applejack's blunt critiquing wears on the contestants' patience as the day goes on.

Before she upsets the designers and other judges too much, Rarity cuts the day short for the contestants to get ready for the public showing of their designs the next day. While Applejack is pleased by the day's progress, Rarity worries that Applejack's candid opinions about fashion will jeopardize the contest results.

Too much honesty

The next day, Rarity and the contest judges oversee the final adjustments of the contestants' designs before their evening debut. Like the day before, Photo Finish and Hoity Toity are mostly receptive to the contestants' work, but Applejack once again favors function over fashion, criticizing their designs until they meet her satisfaction.

When Photo Finish and Hoity Toity get into an argument over which belt to accessorize Starstreak's designs with (despite both belts appearing to be completely identical), Applejack vents her frustration and admits she finds all fashion ridiculous. Feeling insulted, Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, and the contest designers leave, and Rarity follows them in tears.

"What? I was just bein' honest!"

— Applejack

Even an honest opinion can be hurtful.

With her contest now ruined, Rarity tells the construction ponies assembling the runway to stop building, placing blame for this fiasco on Applejack. When Applejack argues she was just being honest like Rarity wanted, Rarity sets out to prove that some honesty can be hurtful. She takes Applejack to the home of Strawberry Sunrise, who bluntly reveals that she hates apples. This greatly offends Applejack, but Rarity points out that it's just Strawberry's "honest opinion". Applejack realizes that Strawberry's harsh opinions about apples mirror her own opinions about the contest designers' hard work, and she resolves to fix the mess she made.

Applejack's honesty lesson

Applejack asks for a second chance.

Before Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, and the contest designers leave Ponyville, Applejack brings them back to Carousel Boutique—mainly by tying them up and hijacking their modes of transportation—and apologizes to them for being unintentionally hurtful with her honesty. She also admits that, while she still doesn't fully understand fashion, she can appreciate the passion and hard work they put into it. Applejack asks them to finish the contest, and the designers and judges agree.

Applejack may not know fashion, but she knows it means a lot to Rarity.

Applejack helps the construction ponies rebuild the contest runway and assists the contest designers finish their designs. When Rarity returns to the boutique—after Pinkie Pie kept her distracted for an hour—Applejack apologizes for nearly ruining the contest, and Rarity thanks her for her efforts. With that, the designers finally reveal their designs to the public. During the vote for the contest winner, Rarity votes for Lily Lace, Hoity Toity votes for Inky Rose, and Photo Finish votes for Starstreak. Applejack, unable to decide on a winner, votes for all three, resulting in a three-way tie.

Epilogue

"It's ghastly! Horrid! Absolutely terrible!"

Some time later, Applejack and Rarity discuss how to put the contest designers' designs on display in the boutique. When they pass one of Rarity's new dresses on a mannequin, Applejack tries to restrain her honesty so Rarity doesn't get upset. However, even Rarity admits that the dress is absolutely awful, and the two friends share a laugh.